Mechanism for unwinding and delivering continuous strips



July 18, 1933. c. e. RICHARDSON 1,918,984

I MECHANISM FOR UNWINDING AND DELIVERING CONTINUOUS STRIPS Original Filed March 15, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 6

- .4 41 Qko ATTORNEfl July 18, 1933- c. G. RICHARDSON 1,918,984 MECHANISM FOR UNWINDING AND DELIVERING CONTINUOUS STRIPS I Original Filed March 15, '1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IgVV ATTORNEY Patented July 18, 1933 UNITED'STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES o. nronnansou, or SPRINGFIELD, vnnmourassmnoa 'ro ranxs a WOOL- SON MACHINE COMPANY, OF SFRINGFIELD, VERMONT, A CORPORATION OF V'ER- MONT MECHANISM FOR UNWINDING AND DELIVERING CONTINUOUS STRIPS Original application filed March 15, 1929, Serial No. 347,293, Patent 1,810,294, of June 16, 1981. Divided and this application filed February 17, 1931. Serial No. 516,354.

This invention relates to the unwinding and delivering of continuous strip of material such as paper where the material is supplied inlong continuous strips coiled on reels or drums, when it is desired to secure an exact predetermined rate of delivery or feed of the strip for any desired purpose.

The present improvement formed the subject matter of an earlier application filed by me March 15, 1929, Serial no. 347,293 now Patent No. 1,810,294 dated June 16, 1932 for improvements in machines for applying transfer stamps and, as this improvement was held to be a separate invention the present application is filed as a division of the aforesaid application because of such requirement by the Patent Ofi'ice for division.

Generally speaking, the invention embraces in combination with rotary delivery rolls and a revoluble strip-carrying reel, an

automatically controlled stripper arranged to engage that portion of the strip between the reel and the delivery rolls and acting to draw off from the revoluble reel those portions of the strip released by the unwinding revolution of the reel and to maintain the strip intermediate the reel and the rolls under a steady and substantially uniform tension. This and other features of the invention will be particularly described in the stamp applying machine in which it is used,

it will be understood that it is applicable for use in connection with any apparatus where it is desired to maintain an exact predetermined delivery of a continuous strip or tape for any desired purpose.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of this invention mounted in the revolving drum of a cloth measuring and stamp applying machine, which is fully described in my aforesaid original application, but which will be only briefly referred to herein so far as may be necessary to understand how the unwinding and strip delivering mechanism is actuated and controlled.

In the drawings: 1

Fig. .1 shows a top plan view of the unwinding and delivery mechanism mounted in a revolving cloth measuring drum.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same mechanism mounted in such drum. v

Fig. '3 is an end elevation of the control a stripper movements are governed as viewed from the left side of Fig. 7.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through the control shaft.

Fig. 7 is a rear end elevation of the control shaft and its associated mechanism.

As more fully explained in my aforesaid original application, Serial No. 347,293, the unwinding and delivery mechanism is mounted in a revolving cylindrical drum A, whose right hand end carrying theworking mechanism is revolubly supported on a hollow stationary stub shaft 53 mounted in a portion of the end frame B. From the delivery rolls the stamp bearing tape or strip is drawn over a platen 2 carried by the drum by means of draft rolls 50, which are driven by a transmission train from a rotatable pinionv 51 carried in the end of the drum and revolving in contact with a stationary worm-like cam 52 secured to the periphery of the stub shaft 53, so that each revolution of the drum causes.

the pinion 51 to rotate one tooth.

The driving shaft, by which the delivery rolls and the unwinding or unreeling mechanism are driven, comprises a longitudinal shaft 38 mounted in hearings on the revoluble drum A and provided at its outer end with a driving pinion 37 which intermeshes with a large gear 32, which is carried by, and fixed to, a circumferentially adjustable sleeve carrying a sprocket 33. As the drum revolves carrying the pinion 37 around the fixed pinion or gear 32, it is rotated through the rolling engagement with the gear 32 at a a lower feed roll 31, which is rcvolubly mounted in arms 31 which maintain it in surface contact with the periphery of the driving delivery roll 30. A sprocket wheel 41, secured to the shaft 40, carries a sprocket chain 41" for transmitting rotary motion to a sprocket wheel 43 that iskeycd to a hollow shaft or sleeve 44 loosely mounted on the transverse shaft 42.

Rotary motion is transmitted to the inner shaft 42, by means of pivoted pawls or dogs 45 carried by the sprocket wheel 43 and yieldingly maintained in engagement with a ratchet wheel 46, by means of suitable springs 45, that is secured to the outer end of the inner shaft 42 so that the inner shaft is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, by this ratchet and pawl connection, while permitting the shaft 42 to over run its driving shaft 44 when it is desired that the speed of rotation of the shaft 42 shall be accelerated, as will be presently described.

Suitably spaced from the counter shaft 42, and parallel therewith. is the strip-carrying revoluble reel comprising a threaded shaft 10, on which are secured opposed heads that may be fixed any appropriate distance apart to embrace an interposed roll of paper or other material that is to be delivered by the delivery rolls 30, 31.

This reel is normally rotated to unwind the coiled strip by means of a sprocket chain 61, which transmits rotation from asprocket 60 secured to the opposite end of the counter shaft 42 from that which carries the ratchet 46 to a sprocket 62 connected with the reel shaft or spindle 10'to rotate the same. It will therefore be seen that the unwinding reel is rotated from the delivery roll shaft 40 through the medium of the intermediate counter shaft 42, but the connecting transmission is such that the reel shaft is normally revolved at a considerably slower rate than is the delivery roll shaft 40, so that the strip is released or uncoiled from the reel slower than the delivery rolls feed it, thereby tending to produce a lag which prevents slackne ss of the strip in advance of the delivery roll.

In order to overcome any tendency of the coil of the tape, or strip, to adhere to the next inside coil or layer, as well as to compensate for the slower unwinding of the strip above noted, and also to equalize tension on the strip between the reel and the delivery rolls, I provide a stripper and tensioning device.

This stripper comprises a vibratory frame embracing a pair of arms 13 secured to a rock shaft 14 and carrying at their outer ends a cross member, preferably in the form of a roller 12, around which the strip from the reel is carried intermediately of the reel and the delivery roll. As shown, the strip is carried over a guide bar or roll 11 so as to form-a reverse loop passing around the stripper roller 12. An arm 14 is secured to the rock shaft 14 and this is connected by means of a link 15 to the upper arm of a rock lever 16, to which also is secured a retractile spring 16 anchored at its forward end to a fixed bracket to normally exert a tensioning pull on the stripper that retracts the stripper from the reel, so that as fast as the strip is released by the unwinding rotation of the reel the slack is taken up by the stripper which acts to strip off the outer layer of the coiled strip in case it should adhere to the inner portion with an elastic or yielding pull that avoids tearing the strip as apositive pull might do. As the delivery rolls draw the strip forward for delivery, and as the uncoiling of the roll of strip is slower than the feed of the delivery rolls, the tension exerted by the delivery rolls on the strip causes the stripper to advance toward the reel, so that before the stripper reached its forward limit of traverse an addit onal supply of the strip must be uncoiled to allow the stripper to retreat from the roll, In order to allow this retreating or retracting movement of the stripper it is necessary that the reel should unwind more rapidly than its normal unwinding action permits.

With this end in view, I have provided an alternative driving connection between the hollow shaft 44 and the inner shaft 42, that will accelerate the rotation of the reel until such time as the stripper has approached its extreme retracted position, at which time the accelerated rotation ceases and the normal slower rotat on of the reel is effected. The details of construction'by which this speeding of the rotation of the reel temporarily is effected is best shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 On the sleeve 44 is secured, or splined. a pinion 48 alongside of which is mounted a loose ratchet wheel 47. in which is eccentrically mounted a short spindle or shaft 47 carrying at one end a pinion 47. which intermeshes with the pinion 48 and carrying at its other end a pinion 47, which intermeshes with a pinion 42* that s fast on the inner shaft 42. On a fixed bracket is supported a pivotal pawl 47 d arranged to engage the teeth of the rutchet 47 but which is also provided with a lateral roller 47 arranged in the plane of a polygonal cam 49 that is also splined on the sleeve 44.

\Vhen the pawl or dog 4'7 has its controlling roller 47 engaged by the high parts or corners of the cam 49, the pawl will be disengaged from the ratchet, but when the low parts of the cam are passing by the roller 47 e the roller will not prevent the pawl from enof the latch 17 gaging the ratchet and holding the ratchet against rotation. The pawl 47 is normally but yieldingly forced toward the ratchet 47 by a spring 47, but when the pawl is forced to its outermost or inactive position by means of the cam 49 it is releasably held there against return by means of a pivotal latch 17 which engages the heel of the pawl, which latch or detent 17 a is yieldingly drawn into engagement with the heel of the pawl by means of the retractile spring 17 As the parts are shown in Fig. 7, which is their normal position when the reel is rotated at its slower speed, the ratchet wheel 47 is free to rotate with the sleeve 44 and, as the shaft 42 is then being rotated by means of the ratchet and pawl connection 45, 46 in unison with the sleeve 44, the ratchet and pinion train embracing the gear 48 with pinions 47, 47 and 42, all revolve in unison without transmitting rotation through this train. When, however, the pawl 47 is en gaged with the ratchet 47, the ratchet is held against rotation so that the p nions 47 and 47 no longer revolve around the sleeve 44, hence rotative movement through engagement of the pinion 47 with the rotating pinion 48 is effected to drive the pinion 42 at a much faster speed than the speed of rotation of the sleeve 44, since this train of mechanism is a speed accelerating tra n.

Inasmuch as this accelerated rotation of the shaft 42 is in the same direction as the slower rotation produced by the ratchet and pawl connection 45, 46, the shaft 42, carrying the ratchet 46, is free to over run the sleeve 44. Since this accelerated rotation is desired only when the stripper frame has approached its forward limit of movement, the energizing of the higher speed train is effected by means of the movement of the stripper frame advancing to this forward position. This is effected in a simple manner by means of a longitudinal link 17 connected with the lower arm of the rock lever 16, the forward end of said link being provided with a slot 17 engaged by a connecting pin on the lower end of the latch 17 to provide a lost motion at this point. As the stripper moves forward against the tension of its retractile spring 16, the link 1.7 is also moved forward and, after the lost motion secured through the slot connection 17 with the latch 17, acts to release the engagement with the heel of the pawl 17 a so that the retractile spring 47 tends to move the pawl inwardly into engagement with a tooth of the ratchet 47 as soon as the further revolution of the cam 49 will permit such inward movement of the pawl. As soon as the pawl 47 is engaged withthe ratchet 47, the ratchet is held against rotation, thus causing the pinion train, actuated by the pinion 48 on the sleeve 44, to drive the shaft 42 through the higher speed train. This, by causing a more rapid rotation of the reel, pays out, or uncoils, material faster than the delivery rolls '30, 31 take it up, so that under the action of its tensioning spring 16 the stripper moves away from the reel, thereby causing a rearward retraction of the link 17 thereby allowing the spring 17 to return the latch 17 to position to interlock with the heel of the pawl 47 when the pawl is thrown out of engagement with the ratchet 47 by means of the high part of the cam 49.

It will therefore be seenthat the reel is rotated alternately at a slow and at a higher rate of speed, according tothe position of the stripper, and that by reason of this alternating change speed of rotation suflicient tape is always uncoiled from the reel as fast as the delivery rolls require it, while this stretch of tape is always kept under substantially uniform tension. By reason of its yielding movement the stripper can always pay out the slack to the delivery rolls and, before the slack is exhausted, it is renewed bylthe accelerated unwinding speed of the ree Where, as in the transfer stamp machine, the tape or strip carries a series of transfer stamps or the like, which it is desired shall exactly register with a pressing or stamping or other mechanism, it may be desirable to be able to adjust the delivery roll rotatably through a small arc to secure proper registry. Such adjustment can be effected where the machine is in operation by shifting the position of the master gear 32, from which the driving pinion 37 on thezdriving shaft of the delivery mechanism, is driven. Consequently, there is provided I the sprocket wheel 33, master gear 32 and which is driven from a hand controlled sprocket wheel 34 by means of the connecting sprocket cl1ain33. This adjusting pinion 34 is mounted on a fixed bracket 3'7 entirely outside the drumand is normally at rest just as is the master gear 32. Compounded with the sprocket pinion 34 is a perforated dial wheel 36 engaged by a spring detent 37, which normally holds the sprocket against rotation while permitting it to be adjusted one or more teeth to advance or retard temporarily the rotative position of the delivery roll 30. In this way the rotating delivery roll 30 may be advanced or retarded 'slightly'for the purpose of positioning the tape longitudinallyto bring desired portions thereof in registry with any given point of its travel.

It will therefore be seen that the pivoted frame 12, 13 serves not only as a tensioning stripper but acts as an equalizer to compensate for the slow and fast unwinding of the reel, thereby insuring always a sufficient supply of tape or strip unwound from the reel for the delivery roll to feed out. In some which is compounded with thecases where there is no tendenc to adhesion between layers of the coil of t e strip, this function will be of no particular importance, the main function being to act as an equalizer for supplying under tension an adequate supply of the tape to the delivery roll.

Since provision has been made for normally accelerating or retarding the delivery of the tape or strip by the delivery roll through the manual adjustment of its driving mechanism, as shown in Fig. 4, the tape or strip is readilyadjusted longitudinally by the operator to bring any portion thereof in re istry with any fixed point to which it is de ivered.

While I have referred to the stripper as advancing toward the reel to pay out slack and moving from the reel to take up slack, it will be understood that this expression has relation to the travel of the strip approaching the stripper from the reel, rather than to the actual physical location of the reel it self, since obviously the strip unwinding from the reel could be guided to approach the stripper from the opposite direction, in which case the paying out movement of the stripper would be away from the reel instead of toward it, asuming of course that the application of the spring for tensioning the stripper be correspondingly altered.

What I claim is:

1. A strip feeding mechanism embracing in combination, .a rotary feed roll for delivering the strip at a predetermined uniform speed, a revoluble strip-carrying reel for supplying the strip to said delivery roll, two se arate constant speed drivers rotating at di erent speeds and having alternately driving connection with said reel for revolving said reel to unwind the strip alternately at lower and at faster speeds than the travel of the strip at the delivery roll, and an equalizing stripper arranged to engage the strip and strip it from the reel intermediate of the reel and the delivery roll and acting to take up the slack and maintain the strip un:

der substantially equal tension.

2. The combination with a constant speed delivery roll for feeding the strip of a revoluble strip-carrying supply reel, means driven from the delivery roll for positively rotating the reel at different constant speeds alternately, a tension equalizing stripper arranged to engage the strip passing from the reel to the delivery roll, said equalizer acting toetake up the slack when the reel is unwindingat its faster speed and to pay it out when the reel is unwinding at its slower speed while maintaining an equalizing tension on the strip travelling toward the delivery roll.

3. A strip feeding mechanism embracing in combination, a strip delivery roll, a revoluble strip-carrying reel, means forpositively rotating said reel alternately at different predetermined speeds, apivotal tension equalizing stripper movable away from the reel under elastic tension when the strip is uncoiling from the reel at the faster speed and movable toward the reel to pay outthe strip when it is uncoiling from the reel at the slower speed, and means coordinated with the equalizing stripper for energizing the faster speed drive when the equalizer has moved toward the reel.

4. In a strip feeding mechanism, the combination with a delivery roll and its driving mechanism, a revoluble supply reel, and means for rotating the reel to unwind therefrom a supply of the strip for the delivery roll, means for maintaining a substantially equal tension on that portion of the strip passing from the reel to said roll, and manually controlled means for temporarily adjusting the roll driving mechanism to vary the longitudinal positioning of the strip in relati on to a given fixed point.

5. In a strip feeding mechanism, the combination with a rotary delivery roll, of a revoluble strip-carrying reel, a driving shaft therefor, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said driving shaft and having driving connection with said reel driving shaft by means of two separate ratchet controlled movements, an equalizing device for maintaining tension on that portion of the unwound strip passing from the reel to the delivery roll, said equalizing device acting to energize the higher speed ratchet connection between the sleeve and the shaft to cause temporarily a more rapid revolution of the reel and unwinding of the strip therefrom.

6. In a strip feeding device, the combination with a delivery roll, of a revoluble supply reel, a driving shaft therefor, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said reel driving shaft, a ratchet wheel fast on said shaft normally driven by pawls carried by the rotary sleeve, asecond rachet loosely mounted on the sleeve, a gear train for transmitting from the sleeve to the shaft a relatively higher speed of rotation when the loose ratchet is held against rotation with the sleeve, a strip take-up and equalizing device engaging the strip intermediate of the reel and the delivery roll to mainta n that portion of the strip under tension, and means coordinated with the equalizer to release the pawl that engages the loose ratchet to hold itagainst rotation and thereby 1impart a higher speed of rotation to the rec 7. In a strip feeding mechanism, the combination with a delivery roll, of a revoluble reel, a drive shaft for rotating said reel, a driving sleeve loosely mounted on said drive shaft and having a slow driving ratchet and pawl connection with said shaft to cause the sleeve and the shaft to rotate in unison, said sleeve having also another ratchet connection with said shaft to drive the shaft at a higher rate of speed when said last-named ratchet is held against rotation, a pawl mounted in a stationary bearing and intermittently engaging and holding said ratchet against rotation to cause rotation of the shaft at a higher rate of speed, a cam secured to said sleeve and acting intermittently to disengage the pawl from said last-named ratchet against the action of a return spring, a detent for holding said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet, a movable tension equalizing device for engaging and tensioning that portion of the strip between the reel and the delivery roll, means actuated by the tensioning device to release said detent and thereby permit the pawl to engage and stop the rotation of said loose ratchet, thus efiecting a higher speed rotation of the reel driving shaft. i

8. In a strip feeding mechanism the combination with a constant speed strip-delivering roll, a revoluble strip-carrying supply reel, an intermediate counter-shaft having positive driving connection with said reelfor revolving the same tounwind the strip, positive driving means actuated from said delivery roll to alternately'drive said countershaft at predetermined but difl'erent speeds to unwind the strip from the reel part of the time at a faster speed than the surface speed of the delivery roll and part of the time at slower speed than the speed of the delivery roll, and a movable strip take-up member acting to take up and tension the slack portion of the strip between the reel and the delivery roll, said take-up acting to alternately establish a higher speed and a lower speed driving connection between the feed roll and the counter-shaft.

CHARLES G. RICHARDSON. 

